


Reprieve Under the Starry Sky

by TheHeroOfHeroes



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-18
Updated: 2020-09-18
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:00:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26522563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheHeroOfHeroes/pseuds/TheHeroOfHeroes
Summary: Short side story to main work, Adventure of a Lifetime.As the heroes stumble upon a serene beach, one of them begins to feel homesick.  The heroes use the momentary respite to rest and to take comfort in each other.
Relationships: Warriors & OC (Linked Universe)
Kudos: 9





	Reprieve Under the Starry Sky

It was a cool, breezy night. The stars dotted the inky black sky overhead as the group of heroes trekked onward. They had stumbled upon another dark portal, this time from Legend’s Hyrule, and arrived in an unfamiliar forest once they had passed through. Although the flora reminded Wild of the Faron region of his Hyrule, checking his and The Historian’s Sheikah Slates confirmed they were not in Wild’s time.

Some of the men were getting grumpy from tiredness; they had walked for hours without so much as a break thanks to Time and Warriors’ insistence that they not stop. A faint roar and a smell of salt in the air began to make its presence known, jarring them out of their fatigue. Wind immediately perked up at the familiar scent as he came to the realization they were near a shoreline, causing his ears to twitch happily. Unbeknownst to Wind, Warriors quietly smiled at the endearing quirk of the young hero. As the group stepped through more underbrush, they were welcomed by a pristine and uninhabited beach. The sands were largely clear of debris, with a rare palm tree interrupting the otherwise wide-open shore.

“A beach! It’s been too long since I’ve seen one!” Wind happily chirped as he took in the ocean’s breeze. It had been obvious over the past few weeks that the young Hero of Winds missed the allure of the sea. The boy quickly dropped his gear, stripping his boots and socks off before sprinting through the soft sand towards the water’s edge.

“Wait up!” Wild called out in his grated voice as he and Hyrule excitedly began to follow suit. Wind’s infectious energy tended to rub off on Wild and Hyrule the most. Together, the three enjoyed sneaking off to go exploring together, usually getting into trouble along the way. Although Wind had plenty of experience navigating the seas, on dry land he was prone to getting lost as much as Wild and Hyrule. Fortunately, the trio never managed to get very far from camp, allowing Twilight and Warriors to easily track them down.

Wind reveled in the chilly water lapping over his feet, feeling the tension from the day slowly ebbing away with the waves. “This feels amazing…” he suspired, recalling his younger days playing on the shores of Outset Island with his sister. The water reminded him of how things were before coming of age and taking on a hero’s burden. Wind’s days had been filled with fun, warmth, and love with his family.

The youngest hero let out a sigh. It had been a stressful day. The heroes had met with Legend’s uncle and his Zelda, whom they decided to nickname Fable to differentiate her from everyone else’s Zelda. After a long, rather uneventful morning of exchanging pleasantries at Hyrule Castle, Time suggested they resupply on medical items and arrows before deciding on their next itinerary. Legend led the men to Kakariko Village so the group could grab what it needed. Before leaving, Legend had taken the opportunity to introduce everyone to Sahasrahla, an elderly wiseman that was instrumental to guiding The Hero of Legend early in his first heroic adventure. Although the elder and his wife were kind, several of the heroes were feeling antsy with all the talking that was happening today. Many of them were eager to get back on the road instead of sipping tea and reminiscing the past. As they had left Kakariko Village, a hoard of Moblins and Bokoblins from each of their eras stormed out of The Lost Woods north of the village, ambushing the group. Although the foes were dispatched quickly by the heroes, a handful of the creatures, led a Golden Moblin, escaped into a dark portal. The heroes had pursued the monsters but had not seen the creatures since.

“I’d imagine this feels like home to you, eh sailor?”

Wind opened his eyes to see The Historian standing next to him, having removed his boots and his coat to join the young hero. Wild and Hyrule were nearby, heavily involved in a water fight. The two heroes were kicking and slapping the water before targeting Legend and accidently gagging the blue-capped hero’s mouth with salty seawater.

“Mmmhmm. Reminds me of… my family…” Wind said, a sudden sadness etched in his face. He missed his little sister and her games, his grandmother’s superb cooking, and the arguments between Orca and Sturgeon. The pain of missing his loved ones caused tears to sting behind the young man’s brown eyes.

Sensing Wind’s plight, The Historian wrapped a gentle arm around the young hero’s shoulders. For the past several weeks, The Historian noticed Wind was acting different and not sleeping well. It was apparent the distance from Wind’s family was beginning to take a toll.

“You’ve been feeling homesick, haven’t you?” The Historian asked as he rubbed gentle circles into Wind’s shoulder blades, causing the young hero to lean into the older man’s touch. Wind only nodded as tears stained his cheeks. Before he could brace himself, The Historian let out a grunt as Wind abruptly slammed into him with a tight hug.

“There, there, little hero. It’s alright.” The Historian soothed, hearing muffled cries and sniffles coming from the head of bright blonde hair. The other heroes splashing nearby stopped to come see why Wind looked like he was crying.

“He’s just a bit homesick is all.” The Historian calmly explained to the others. “He’ll be okay, we just have to be extra gentle with him and give him a bit of comfort till he feels better.”

“S-sorry…” Wind sniffed, feeling lighter but also flushed with embarrassment for crying like a baby.

“Don’t be. We’re here for each other, remember?” Hyrule said warmly, embracing the younger hero in a hug of his own.

“I shouldn’t be crying like this. This is stupid…” Wind mumbled.

“Crying is a valid response to being upset. Don’t buy into this ideal that men cannot have emotions and are forbidden to let them out.” The Historian replied, ruffling Wind’s hair with his hand.

“If you’re all done horsing around in the water, we have camp to prepare.” Time called while he and Twilight were busy building a large campfire.

=====

Dinner around the campfire was an uneventful affair. Since everyone was so tired from earlier in the day, no one had much to say. Even the usual banter between Warriors and Legend was comparatively mute. Wild and The Historian had worked as a team to prepare dinner, a particularly tasty curry with bread, since neither of them had the energy to do it solo. While the two cooked, Legend took it upon himself to make tea for everyone using a special blend Sahasrahla’s wife had gifted to him before their departure.

The heroes, full on their second helping of curry, were beginning to feel the full extent of their weariness. To protect their camp against the cool ocean wind, the heroes had chopped down a few trees from the tree line nearby and rolled them into place. The trees made their camp feel cozy and gave the men something to sit against. Hyrule was leaning comfortably against Legend, who had a protective arm around his successor while resting his chin on the brunette’s hair. Wild was cuddled against Twilight’s side and wearing his mentor’s wolf’s pelt. In turn, Twilight was leaning against Time’s shoulder. Nestled in Time’s lap was Four’s head, smallest hero having already passed out. On Time’s other shoulder, Sky was wrapped in his sailcloth and snoring happily.

Warriors quietly sat behind The Historian, splaying his legs out while wrapping his arms firmly around the smaller man’s stomach as he braced himself against the log behind them. The Historian leaned into Warriors’ chest, hearing a content sigh as the scarfed hero rested his chin in the nape of The Historian’s neck. Warriors closed his eyes as he felt The Historian gently caressing his scarred sword arm.

“Hi.” The Historian whispered.

“Hmm…hi.” Warriors whispered cheekily back.

“Comfortable?”

“Mmmhmm.” Warriors wearily replied, snuggling his face into the warmth of the smaller man before planting a gentle kiss on The Historian’s neck, causing a smile to grace smaller man’s face.

“Um, can I sit with you guys?” a timid voice asked. Wind was standing in front of them, looking guilty for interrupting their moment. Historian and Warriors gave the boy a warm smile.

“Of course.” The Historian replied, opening his arms to invite Wind in, allowing the young man to sit down between his legs. Historian wrapped his arms around Wind’s shoulders, pulling the young hero to his chest as Warriors swaddled the three of them with his long scarf. Enjoying the sudden comfort, Wind snuggled into The Historian’s shoulder.

“Thank you for earlier. You’re right about me being homesick and all. I… just want to see my family again.” Wind whispered.

“You’re welcome, Wind. We get it, and I’m confident that it won’t be long before you get to see them again.”

“Don’t forget that we’re your family too, sailor. All of us.” Warriors added. Wind could not help the smile that crept onto his face. Although he missed his sister and grandmother, he just needed to be reminded that he had family with him right here and now.

“Thanks, guys.” Wind whispered contently. Warriors ran a gentle hand through Wind’s hair as Historian hugged the boy tighter.

Amidst the sound of the peaceful waves, Time could hear the familiar snoring of his boys. The Old Man smiled, feeling happy they could have this reprieve under the starry sky.


End file.
